SEARAC applauds the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold birthright citizenship in the case of Trump v. Barbara. Birthright citizenship is a long-established constitutional right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. The Trump Administration sought to unilaterally undo that right through executive order on their first day in office last year. The 6-3 majority decision by the Supreme Court deemed the order unlawful; Justices Alito, Gorsuch, and Thomas dissented.
“The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold birthright citizenship reaffirms a fundamental constitutional promise that every child born in the United States is entitled to equal protection and belonging, regardless of their parents’ immigration status,” said Quyên Đinh, Executive Director of SEARAC. “For Southeast Asian refugee and immigrant communities, many of whom came to this country seeking safety and opportunity, this decision preserves a cornerstone of our democracy. It affirms the idea that every child born here is entitled to the same rights, dignity, and chance to thrive and rejects efforts to erode the constitutional protections guaranteed to everyone born in the United States.”
